Windmill.



J. H. BAXTER.

WINDMILL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1911. 1,020,957. Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

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J. H. BAXTER.

WINDMILL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1011.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

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WINDMILL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1,1911.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

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WINDMILL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1911. 1,020,957. Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. BAXTER, OF IBEBTHOUD, COLORADO.

WINZDMILL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN II. Bax'rnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Berthoud, in the county of Larimer and State of Colorado,have invented new and useful Improvements in \Vindmills, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of wind mills which are known asvertical wind mills and in which a wheel is provided that rotates aboutan approximately vertical axis.

The principal object of the invention is to provide avertical wind wheelof simple and improved construction equipped with feathering vanes orsails so arranged that while the full surface of the sails shall beexposed to the force of the wind at one side of the vertical axis, thesails at the opposite side of said axis will be feathered and exposededgewise to the wind, thus enabling the device to operate efficientlywithout regard to the direction of the wind.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple and improved stopmeans for retaining the sails or vanes against rotation in onedirection, while permitting them to rotate freely in the oppositedirection for the purpose of feathering at the proper time.

A still further object of the invention is to provide simple andimproved means for actuating the stops to move them out of operativeposition when desired, for the purpose of removing obstruction to therotation of the vanes or sails, thereby permitting all of the sails toswing into a feathered position at any one time, thereby suspending theoperation of the device when desired.

Still further objects of the invention are to simplify and improve thegeneral construction and operation of a wind mill of the characteroutlined above.

WVith these and other ends in view, which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination of partswhich will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed outin the claim.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitationis necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed July 1, 1911.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912. Serial No. 636,490.

modifications within the scope of the claim may be resorted to whendesired.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a wind millconstructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view.Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic top plan view of the wheel indicating theswinging or feathering movement of the vanes or sails. Fig. 41 is ahorizontal sectional view taken on the line 44 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is avertical sectional detail view taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6is a detail view, enlarged, of the means for actuating the stops.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by likecharacters of reference.

The wheel of the improved wind mill is composed of a hub portionincluding suitable castings 1 with which a plurality of radiating armsA, A are suitably connected. Each of the arms A is adapted to carryfeathering sails or vanes, as will be hereinafter more fully described,and in the accompanying drawings four such radial arms have been shownwith the understanding, however, that within the scope of the inventionany desired number of such arms may be employed. Each of the arms A iscomposed of top and bottom bars or members 2 and 3 which are spacedapart and connected by means of struts 41 and bolts 5. Inclined braces Gare also employed to reinforce the construction. The arms A are mutuallyconnected by truss wires 7 including turn buckles 8 which may betightened when necessary to take up slack. In this manner an extremelystiff and rigid construction is assured, as is obviously necessary in adevice of this kind.

As regards the manner of connecting the top and bottom bars 2 and 3 ofthe individual arms of the hub members 1, it is desired to be understoodthat the top bars of at least one pair of arms may be extendeddiametrically across the top member of the hub, as shown. In otherrespects, any suitable and approved construction may be employed wherebythe necessary strength and rigidity shall be assured.

Each of the arms A is provided at the outer ends of its top and bottommembers with sleeves or boxes 10 affording bearings for a vertical shaft11 which may be provided with one or more set collars 12 to hold it inposition against displacement. Each of the shafts 11 is equipped at itsupper and lower ends adjacent to the upper and lower bars or members 2and 3 of the arm A with frames 13, 14 supporting, respectively, a mainsail 15 and a back sail or balance wheel 16. The sail carrying frames 13and 14; are rigidly associated with the shaft 11, and said frames may beof any desired and appropriate construction, it being merely noticedthat the frame 13 of the main sail is preferably of approximatelytriangular shape, and of large area, while the frame 14 is of relativelysmall area and of approximately rectangular shape. The triangular shapeof the frame 13 is desirable in order to enable a frame of largestpossible area to be used and to enable such frame to clear the wind milltower and such obstructing parts as may be associated therewith. Inother respects the precise construction of the sail carrying frames maybe varied to suit the nature of the sails employed which may be ofcanvas, sheet metal or any other suitable material.

Each of the arms A is provided with stop members 17 slidably supportedby means of keepers 1S and adapted to be projected in the path of thelarge sail carrying frames 13 so as to obstruct the rotation of theshafts carrying said frames in one di rection. The stop members 17 arepivotally associated with a disk 19 supported for rotation upon one ofthe inclined braces 6, the stop members upon the upper and lower bars ormembers 2 and 3 of the arm A being pivotally connected withdiametrically opposite sides of the disk 19 so that by turning thelatter about its axis the two stop members may be simultaneouslyretracted or projected, as the case may be. A suitably arranged spring20 is arranged to operate upon the disk 19 to rotate the latter in onedirection so as to maintain the stop members 17 in projected position.Pivotally associated with the disk 19 is an arm 21 which is so arrangedthat pulling strain exercised upon said arm will operate to rotate thedisk 19 and to place the spring 20 under tension, thereby retracting thestop members 17 from the path of the sail carrying frames, it beingreadily seen that by releasing the pulling strain upon the arm 21, thedisk 19 will be restored by the action of the spring 20 to its initialposition, thereby projecting the stops in the path of the sail carryingframes.

The arms 21 associated with the disks 19 of the several arms A of thewheel are connected by links 22 with a ring or annulus 23, said ringbeing supported for rotation with the wheel by means of guides 24associated with the lower hub member 1. Suitably connected with the ringor annulus 23 is a relatively stationary ring 25 which is suitablysupported for vertically slidable movement, it being understood that thering 25 is connected with the ring 23 in such a manner that when thering 25 is raised or lowered the ring 23 will follow the movementthereof. Means, such as pull ropes 26, are provided whereby the ring 25may be pulled in a downward direction. It will be seen that by pullingthe ring 26 downward, the revolving ring 25 will likewise be pulleddownward, thus exercising a pulling strain upon the link 22 and pullingthe arms 21 and disks 19 against the tension of the springs 20', therebyretracting the stops 17 from the path of the sails. hen the strain uponthe rods or members 26 is released, the springs 20 will serve to restorethe parts to initial position.

The wind wheel is supported by means of a shaft 27 suitably associatedwith the hub members 1, 1, said shaft being supported for operation bymeans of a ball bearing 27 upon the platform 28 of a suitablyconstructed tower 29. A counter shaft 30 sup ported between platforms 2Sand 31 is adapted to receive motion by means of suitable gearing 32 fromthe shaft 27, said motion being transmitted in any suitable andconvenient manner to a pump or other machinery that is to be driven.

In the operation of this invention, it will be seen that the sails orvanes at one side of the axis of the shaft 27 will be wholly exposed tothe action of the wind. When the sail that is thus exposed swings into aposition at which the edge of the main sail 15 is presented to the wind,it is obvious that the sail will present no resistance, and when thisline is passed, the main sail will receive the action of the wind insuch fashion as to cause the rotation of the carrying shaft 11 about itsaxis, the turning movement being gradual and free from shock, owing tothe fact that the large main sail is counterbalanced by the relativelysmall back sail 16. When a one-half revolution of the shaft 11 iscompleted the sail will be presented edgewise to the wind, it being, however, the edge of the back sail that is presented to the direct actionof the wind, the position of the sail being thus maintained until theframe of the main sail engages the stop 17 The continued movement nowgradually swings the entire surface into a position where it is exposedto the action of the wind, the sail being maintained in proper positionby the action of the stop 17 against the frame of the main sail which,as it presents a larger surface area than that of the back sail, willobviously prevent the sail carrying frame from turning about the axis ofthe shaft carrying said frame.

A wind mill constructed in accordance with the invention as hereindescribed may be manufactured and erected at a very moderate expense,and it requires but slight attention, the mill being equally active andeflieient without regard to the direction of the wind. If it shall bedesired to suspend the operation of the mill, the ropes or pull members;26 may be operated to retract the stops 17 from the path of the sailcarrying frames which Will thus all be permitted to swing edgewise tothe Wind, the edges of the back sails being obviously presented to thewind. To restore the mill to an active condition, it is only necessaryto relieve strain upon the members 26 when the springs 20 will serve torestore the stop members 17 and related parts to initial position.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

In a Wind mill of the character described, a Wheel comprising upper andlower hub members and radial arms associated there- With, said armsbeing each composed of top and bottom bars and suitable spacing andconnecting means, truss Wires including turn buckles connecting theseveral arms, a vertical shaft associated for rotation with each radialarm, said vertical shafts having sail carrying frames, relatively largemain sails and relatively small back sails supported by said frames,said main sails and back sails being disposed at opposite sides of theaxes of the vertical shafts, slidably supported stop members carried bythe radial arms and adapted to be projected in the path of the main sailcarrying portions of the sail carrying frames. spring actuated diskssupported for rotation and connected pivotally with the stop members,means connected with said disks to rotate them against the tension ofthe springs to retract the stop members, and means for actuating theretracting means. 7

I In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN H. BAXTER. WVitnesses T. R. WILLIAMS, J. A. OUlI-IIER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing; the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

